Gold prices rebounded in choppy trading Friday as equities stumbled in the wake of weaker-than-expected economic data, but the precious metal remained on track for a weekly loss.
Gold for February delivery GCG5, +0.48% rose $2.70, or 0.2%, to $1,186.80 an ounce, with volume thin at the end of the holiday season. Still, the bounce was impressive, coming off an earlier low of $1,167.30.
SINGAPORE shares end higher on Friday.
The Straits Times Index gained 5.44 points to 3,370.59.
Some 1.07 billion shares, valued at S$556.9 million were traded.
Gainers numbered 279 while losers numbered 154.
New York-traded crude-oil futures managed to recoup some losses in electronic trade early Friday, though rival Brent North Sea crude saw only a modest gain.
Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude futures for February CLG5, +0.21% improved by 58 cents, or 1.1%, to $53.85 a barrel on Globex, trimming its 1.6% drop in the previous New York Mercantile Exchange session Wednesday.
But London-traded February Brent crude LCOG5, -0.44% rose a slimmer 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $57.46 a barrel, after having lost 1.8% on Wednesday.